Printing mechanism for tabulators



July 9, 1935.

. A. w. MILLS PRINTING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Filed April 25, 1932 43 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll l Imm*

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July 9, 1935. A. w. MILLS PRINTING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Filed April 25, 1932 3 Sheetsheet 2 INVENTOR- ATTORNEY- July 9, 1935. A. w MILLS PRINTING MECHANlSM FOR TABULATORS Filed April 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGA;

9 au R C T N E V m ATTORN EY- Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MECHANISM FOR. TABULATORS Application April 25, 1932, Serial No. 607,354

6 Claims.

This invention relates to record card controlled machines and more particularly to the printing mechanism of such a machine in which alphabetical printing is desired.

'I'he principal object is to provide an improved and simplied form of printing mechanism which may be called upon when occasion requires to print either numerals or alphabetical characters.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through the printing mechanism illustrating a single embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is' a position view oi' parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a representation of part of a regular Hollerith card, illustrated as punched for selecting either numerals or letters by means of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of the machine to which the present improvements are applied.

Referring to Fig. 1, the drive shaft 25, driven by the tabulating motor TM (Fig. 4) carries a pair of complementary cams 2B which through cam follower 21 oscillates a shaft 2B to which is secured anv arm 29 which has link connection 30 to an arm 3| secured to a shaft 32. Fixed upon shaft 32 is an arrn 33 connected by a link 34 to an arm 35 pivoted at 35 and carrying at its free enda cross bar 31. Also pivoted at 36 is an arm 38 urged upwardly by a spring 39 anchored to a. 'cross member carried by arm 33. The free en'd of arm 38 is connected by a link 40 to type bar or element 4| which is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the frame oi.' the machine. Cams 26 lthrough the linkage just-traced are adapted to elevate and lower type bars 4| once each revolution so that the type 42successively pass printing position opposite platen 43.

As usual, perforated record cards 44 (Fig. 3) are fed through the machine and their index point positions 9, 8, 1, successively traverse the usual analyzing brushes which serve to complete a circuit upon encountering a perforation in the card. The travel of the cards through the machine is synchronized with the upward movement of type bars 4| (see Fig. 2) so that the second type above the type S, 8, 1, etc. located on the bar as indit-.ated in Fig. 2, pass the printing position opposite platen 43 as the corresponding index point positions of the card pass the analyzing brushes. A circuit completed through any index position 9-0 will energize a magnet 45 in a manner to be traced in connection with the description of the circuit diagram. Such energization will attract armature 46 and through call wire 41, rock a latch 48 to release spring pressed stopping element or pawl 49 which will thereupon turn clockwise, swinging its toe 50 into the path of one of the teeth 5| of bar 4|. Pawl 49 is pivoted at 52 upon a member 53 mounted for vertical movement in the frame of the machine and normally held in its lowermost position as in Fig. 1 by a spring 54. tion abuts against the side of member 53 and through engagement of the pawl with latch 48 limits the downward movement of the member 53. The lower end of member 53 has attached thereto a stopping block 55 adapted, when the member is moved upwardly, to contact with the depending arm of either latches 56 or 51 or the lower edge of fixed bar 58. These three points of contact are spaced apart a, distance equal to the spacing of type 42 and by their cooperation with block 55 determine which of the three type of a group comprising a digit type and the two directly above, shall be selected for printing. For instance, if neither of the latches 56 or 51 are moved into the path of block 55, energization of magnet through a perforation in the 8 index point position` will trip stop 49 into the path of the 8 tooth 5| and upon engagement of tooth 5| and stop 49, the latter will move upwardly with the bar 4| carrying with it member 53.

When block 55 on this member strikes bar 55 it will stop and through stop 49 will also interrupt further movement of the type bar 4|. The parts will then be in position with the 8 type 42 in printing position.

If latch 51 had been moved into the path of block 55, member 53 and bar 4I would have been intercepted one step sooner, thus positioning the next type above the 8 in printing position and if latch 56 had been moved into the path of block 55 the member 53 and bar 4| would have been intercepted two steps sooner to position the second type above 8 in printing position. After the several type bars have been positioned printing is eiected by hammers 59 which `impact the positioned type for printing. Since the particular hammer mechanism forms no part of the present invention, such need not be described here in further detail.

Latches 51 are controlled in their movement to The toe of pawl 49 in this posithe left by magnets 80 and latches 56 are controlled by magnets 6 I. Each latch has connected thereto a horizontal link 52 provided with a spring pressed by-pass latch 63 which normally engages the end of armature 64 as in Fig. 1 to hold the link and latch associated therewith to the right. Energization of a magnet 60 or 6| will rock its armature against a common spring B5 releasing link 62 so that spring 66 on latches 5B, 51 may rock the latter clockwise into the path of block 55.

Magnets 60 and 6I are controlled in their operation by circuits completed through perforations in the I2 and I I index point positions respectively of the record card columns which are analyzed in advance of the other index point positions by a second set of analyzing brushes. Thus for a column having a perforation in the 8 and I2 index point positions, the prior analysis of the I2 perforation will cause latch 51 to swing into the path of block so that upon later analysis of the Il hole and the consequent coupling of stop 49 to bar 4I the parts will ultimately be positioned as shown in Fig. 2 with the type iinmediately above the 8 type 42 in printing position. This is the type associated with the combi-- nation punching of 8 and I2.

During the restoring or downward stroke of type bar 4I a. high tooth or projection S1 on the bar engages stop 49 and relatches the same on latch 48 after spring 54 has drawn member 53 down to its initial position.

Links 62 are restored by a bail 68 pivoted at S9 and adapted to engage projections 10 on the links 62. A cam 1I (Fig. l) cooperates with a follower arm 12 loose on shaft 32 and through arm 13, lin 14 and arm 15 is adapted to rock bail 68 in a clockwise direction once each revolution of shaft 25, the time of operation being just prior to the analysis of the I I and I2 index point positions of the record and after printing has taken place. At this time type bars 4I are beginning to descend and latches 56, 51 if tripped, will swing into position immediately upon completion of the downward movement of member 53 in which operative position they will remain throughout the elevation of the type bars 4I during the next machine cycle and while the index point positions S-I are being analyzed.

The mechanism including a commutator device for selectively controlling the energization of magnets 60, 6| will be explained in connection with Fig. 4 of the drawings. The circuit diagram illustrated in this gure is similar to that disclosed in the patent to Daly and Page, No. 1,762,145, issued June 10, 1930, the circuits being altered to include the new mechanism to realize the present advantages.

A card column controlling numeral printingr does not contain the perforations I I or I2, and has only the usual index point perforations for differentially selecting a particular numeral type as explained. These perforations are sensed by the lower brushes 85. The machine circuits are, as usual, energized from a source of energy indicated at B6 connected to line wires 88 and 89 by a double pole switch 81. As the record cards are fed through they are rst presented to upper brushes 90 which sense perforations at the I I and I2 positions whereupon the card is fed (signing a subsequent card cycle to lower brushes These perforations close the counter magnet circuits traced as follows for one column: from the left side of the line 88, wire 9|, contacts 92, counter magnet 93, brush 85, common bar B4, Wire 95 to the right side of contacts T2, T3, and when the first card is being listed, through contacts T4, T5 by wire 96 to binder post I I.

If a tabulating operation is being performed on a card other than the rst group, the current instead of passing through T4 and T5 will pass through T2, T3, wire 91, brush 08, segment 99, through commutator |00, brush IOI, wire 95, to binder post II.

After the machine has operated a certain amount, contacts TI close, extending the circuit just described from binder post I I through upper and lower card lever contacts |02 and closed contacts TI, binder post 9, closed contacts P3 to the other side of line 89.

The energization of counter magnet 93 sets up a supplementary circuit as follows: from the left side of line 88, contacts |04, printer magnet 45, common bar |05, wire |06 to non-list switch 80, closed when listing is desired. When this switch is closed, during the first card cycle, and with the commutator circuit IDI, |00 and brush |61 closed during the same card cycle, current will be supplied from binder post II to the common bar |05 through wire |08, contacts LPI, now closed, and through switch 80. In this way magnets 45 are provided with a return path for` the current which, as will be understood, is a secondary circuit which has been completed by the energization of the counter magnets from the brushes, and the subsequent closing of contacts It will be understood that if no other perforations appear in a card column aside from the usual perforations in one of the ten designated points, the numeral type only will be controlled differentially; the particular type selected depending upon the differential time that magnet 45 is energized.

The upper brushes 90 which search the record i' cards for perforations at the I I or I2 positions are energized through cam contacts IID which close during the feeding of cards and open between successive card feeding cycles. Brushes 90 are, of course, electrically connected in some suitable manner to sockets III connecting the pairs of magnets 60, 6I and in the present instance this connection is exemplified by plug wire connections I I2 thus electrically connecting a brush 90 and one of a pair of magnets 60 or 6I, depending upon the perforation presented to the corresponding upper analyzing brush.

The commutator arrangement preferably provided for selectively controlling the energization of magnets or 6I comprises a cylindrical body of insulating material I I3 rotating synchronously with the card feeding mechanism so that as an I I perforation reaches a brush 90, a metal spot II6 contacting with a brush II1 will cause the energization of magnet 6I. But when a perforation at the I2 position is presented to a brush 90 another spot II4 will simultaneously contact a brush II5 to cause energization of magnet 60. The spots |I4 and II6 are electrically connected to a metal ring IIB against which a brush II9 bears. By either of the spots II4 or IIB the circuit extends from the magnets 60 or 6I, through ring IIB, brush II9, wire |20, to the usual cam contacts I2I to the other side of line 89.

In this manner magnets S0, 6| are energized to preselect the extent of movement of the type bar stopping pawl 49 and will accordingly control the selection of the character corresponding to the particular combinational punching analyzed.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features oi' the invention as applied to a single modication, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

1. In a printing machine in combination, card analyzing means including two reading stations for successively reading a record card, a type bar and means for moving the same, a positionable stop for said type bar controllable by one reading station of said anlyzing means and further means controlled by the other reading station of said analyzing means for determining the position of said stop.

2. In a printing machine in combination, a printing element movable directly to any one of a plurality of printing positions, a stopping element for positioning said printing element movable to a plurality of stopping positions, card analyzing means and means controlled thereby for determining the stopping position of said stopping element and means for moving said element continuously until stopped by said stopping means in any of its stopping positions.

3. In a printing machine in combination, a movable printing element, and means for moving the same with a continuous movement, a stopping element therefor movable to a plurality of stopping positions, means for` causing engagement of said printing element and stopping element for synchronous movement of both said elements without interrupting the continuous movement of said element and means for differentially interrupting said movement.

4. In a machine of the class described, analyzing means for successively searching index point positions in a column of a record card, a printing element movable to a plurality of printing positions, a driving element for driving the same with a uniform movement, a movable stopping element, means controlled by said analyzing means upon analysis of a perforation in one of said index point positions for coupling said stopping element to said printing element for movement therewith, and means controlled by said analyzing means upon analysis of a perforation in another index point position for determining the extent of movement of said stopping element with said printing element.

5. In a machine of the class described, a pair of card reading stations adapted to read record cards fed past said stations in succession, a type bar having a plurality of type elements thereon, means for advancing said bar to present a selectedlelement to printing position, a positionable stop for said bar, means controlled by one of said reading stations for preselecting the position of said stop and means controlled by the other station for coupling the stop to said bar for movement therewith directly to the preselected stopping position.

6. In a printing machine, a type bar, means for moving said bar with a. uniform motion, movable stopping means therefor, record controlled means operative in response to a hole in a record for coupling said stopping means thereto for uniform movement therewith, and further record controlled means operative in response to another hole for interrupting the joint uniform motion of said bar and stopping means.

ALBERT W. MILLS. 

